


out of sight, not out of mind

by secondsofhappiness (orphan_account)



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 21:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13796763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/secondsofhappiness
Summary: Robert sighs, stacking a few plates and moving to stand by Aaron at the sink. Their elbows tap together gently and Liv rolls her eyes for the hundredth time as Aaron offers a tea towel and Robert all but swoons.They're the worst.---------Post-reunion. Saturday morning at The Mill and Liv watches from the stairs.





	out of sight, not out of mind

**Author's Note:**

> So the writing bug bit me for the first time in flipping forever... probably something to do with this week, can't imagine what...  
> I hope you enjoy. These three have my heart.

They're gross. 

With Alex, Liv had perfected a manoeuvre guaranteed to shade her face in case there was any snogging or inappropriate touching going on when she rounded the stairs to the kitchen but this was different.

They're gross but she peeks through a gap in the stairs, quiet in her socks as she crouches to watch them and smiles because, well, because Aaron's smiling too.

His grin is blinding as he flicks the kettle on, shuffling to make a slither of room for Robert who is uncharacteristically ruffled, clearly leaving his poncy shirts for later. Robert's smiling too, nudging his hip gently against Aaron's, turning to Aaron who tilts his head, a quick soft smile on his lips. The same lips that Robert kisses gently, arm sliding to wrap around Aaron's waist in a move towards the sink.

It's all kind of mushy and it would normally be weird but the idiot is back and things feel whole again. Alex was great and always doing the right thing but she watches Rob put the finishing touches to a cuppa, handing it to Aaron like he's offering his heart in the palm of his hand and Liv knows this is the way it should be. Aaron's whole body sighs and his hand presses momentarily to Robert's chest and Liv just knows.

Aaron's made a fry up. Rob clearly hasn't had a hand in it because the kitchen is a state, pans stacked all over the bench and spilled beans on the counter top. There's a half opened pack of bacon under an egg carton that looks like it's been smashed with a hammer. The smell, though. The smell is heaven and Robert's humming to some terrible song on the radio as they move to sit together at the table, raising an eyebrow at Aaron's eye roll. It ends with a fond smile though and Liv shakes her own head realising she mirrored her brother, her heart warm. Rob has a horrible taste in music.

"So?" Aaron asks around a mouthful of sausage, "it as good as you remember?"

Robert frowns at Aaron's manners, Liv biting her lip to suppress a giggle, before a taking a slow thoughtful sip of his tea.

"It's alright." He turns right back to his plate, spearing a mushroom and popping it between smug smirking lips.

"Your face says otherwise," Aaron throws back, eyebrows quirked. Robert laughs, biting at his lip and Liv knows this is it. They're good. This is real.

She watches Rob grab a slice of bread, butter it and lay it beside Aaron's plate, not caring about the crumbs. It's so simple and yet Aaron's eyes widen, chest rises with a breath and he's tugging Robert by the tshirt and pressing a messy kiss to his lips. They're both smiling and lazy looking and gross and it's the best thing Liv has seen in a long time.

The appeal of kissing someone with a mouthful of bacon and egg is alien to her but she watches the nuance of Aaron's face, a face she knows well. He's comfortable and sleepy and happy, so much so that it's shining out of him and the kitchen looks like home for the first time in months. All of that tells her more than a kiss does. Still, the soppy grins on their faces aren't lost on her. 

"You got any plans today?" Aaron asks after a moment of comfortable silence. His plate is clean and he's cradling his mug between his palms, tendrils of steam framing his face.

Robert looks up as he cuts his food and for a second his hand stills, a sausage stuck against his fork. He smiles and it's slow and fond, the way most of Robert's smiles are when Aaron does... well, anything. "You want rid of me?"

Aaron frowns, words quick and a little frantic. "No. No, I don't. You think you're leaving my sight today?"

Robert's laugh is sharp and he grins, eyes crinkling. "Right answer."

It's all sickening, really, but Liv watches Aaron slide out of his chair, collecting the dirty plates as he goes. He stacks them with the rest of the mess in the sink, refills Robert's mug with tea, then his own and Robert watches his every move. 

He's not quite used to it, that much is obvious. Liv can see it all over his face - the wonder. It's like he's waiting for the other shoe to drop until Aaron passes him and swipes a lazy hand across the back of his head and Robert's eyes close immediately. Aaron can't see it but Liv can and it tells her all she needs to know.

"You reckon Liv will want to spend the day with us?" 

She jumps. Robert's got his chin propped on his hand, twisting towards Aaron who is making a pretty crap attempt at washing up. 

They won't want her here. She'll just get in the way of whatever soppy thing they'll decide to do but her heart quickens because this didn't happen with Alex. He was sweet but he was separate and Rob just... isn't.

Aaron laughs, pans clanking in the sink. "You think she'll want to hang around with us on her day off?

Rob frowns, shrugging. "I just don't want her to think she's an after thought. I meant what I said to her yesterday. She's part of this too."

Aaron turns, hands wet with suds and his eyes are warm. "She knows."

Robert sighs, stacking a few plates and moving to stand by Aaron at the sink. Their elbows tap together gently and Liv rolls her eyes for the hundredth time as Aaron offers a tea towel and Robert all but swoons.

They're the worst.

"I suppose she probably won't want to stick about here and I guess we can take advantage of a quiet flat," he says as he picks a dripping plate off the rack. Aaron scoffs, nudging Robert with his hip. The tips of his ears are pink and Liv's armed to carry out her strategic manoeuvre to avert her eyes when Robert continues. "She'll probably want to spend the day with Gabby or something?"

Liv's stomach drops. She watches Aaron grow still, sighing. "Yeah, about that. That was a bit of an incident last week and I guess you should know because well, I mean, you're back."

Robert smiles around his words, with a quick "I am," before he frowns, turning to rest his hip against the sink. "What happened?"

"Gabby ruined her birthday, wrote 'skank' on Liv's shoulders in henna 'cause she thought Liv was seeing Jacob behind her back and well, Liv kind of kissed Gabby. It was all a bit of a mess but Liv was proper upset. If Gabby knows what's good for her, she'll stay away. Liv doesn't need that in her life."

Liv swallows hard, pride and pain an equal mix in her chest. Robert stops wiping a plate and places it on the counter. "She kissed Gabby?"

Aaron stops too, wiping his hands on his hoodie. "Yeah, apparently. I mean, I think she's confused and I had a chat with her the other day to let her know that being confused is ok and not knowing what's going on is ok too. I don't know if it worked, I just wanted her to know she's not alone, you know? I mean, we're both pretty aware of how hard it can be."

"Yeah," Robert says softly, eyebrows knitted together. "She ok?"

Aaron smiles then, slides a hand to Robert's hip and steps around him to grab another dirty pan. "She's upset but she's good, I think. She's proper strong but I'm keeping an eye on her. She's working stuff out and it's never easy especially not when she's getting stick at school for it all. She said she isn't gay but she doesn't know what she is so I just hope she feels like she can be whoever she wants to be."

"If she has you, she'll be fine," Robert offers and Aaron tips his head up with a smile, eyes lingering on Robert's in thought. 

"I hope so. I just want to be the best I can be for her, you know? Like Paddy was for me."

After a beat, Robert hums and threads the tea towel through the gaps in the drainer. "We both know how it feels to be unsure about who you are. Sometimes you just need reminding that you belong somewhere even if you don't have it all worked out yet."

Liv's hands are shaking, her heart hammering hard. She reaches to hold the bannister, a tether, because she's never had this before. She knows something about what she feels - or doesn't feel - but it seems wrong, like something is missing. Like she should want someone to kiss mid way through a fry up just because they look good or just because she feels like it. It's weirdly sweet to watch them but what does that make her when she doesn't understand all that? Dead inside? Broken? Empty? 

Being with Jacob and Gabby and Noah is nice. It's fun and she likes when Jacob hugs her and makes her laugh with his stupid hair and his lame jokes. She likes helping Noah choose slogan tees and bitching about the Dingles and then there's Gabby. She was the best but Liv screws her eyes closed, wetness on her cheeks. Why did it all suddenly get so hard? 

She bunches her dressing gown over her hands and wipes hard at her eyes. No way is she crying over this again. 

Robert's flicking the kettle and she wants a cuppa like crazy, wants to walk the rest of the stairs, tell Rob he looks like shit in the morning and grab a left over sausage off the rack. She wants to drink her tea on the sofa with Aaron while he flicks through to The Grand Tour and replays an episode he's seen a hundred times only for Rob to come over and change it to Saturday Kitchen because it's where he gets his inspiration. 

She wants it all but there's lead in her stomach because they're being so nice and what if it'll all be ruined? What if they don't get it? What if they think she's broken? What if they don't believe her? What if they look at her like she isn't whole? What then? How does she even explain something she doesn't understand? They both have their stuff figured out and she's pretty sure she doesn't feel the way they do. What if they don't get that she might want nothing when they're chasing everything? 

Dragging her sleeves further over her hands, she wraps an arm around herself and watches Aaron laughing at something Robert said, Robert fighting to wrap his arms around Aaron's shoulders but he's being batted away. Aaron's face is all lit up. Rob is insistent and Aaron wilts like Valentine's Day roses, straight into Robert's arms, his own hands sliding wide against Robert's back where they hold tight to the fabric.

"I forgot how great your hugs were," Robert says into the side of Aaron's head, lips pressing there for a moment.

Aaron laughs softly. "I forgot how clingy you are on a morning. Proper octopus. I can never get anything done."

"You can do me any time," Robert says quickly, cheeks splitting into a smile as Aaron swats at him, fighting to be free. 

"Get off. Judging by the fact you were dead to the world this morning, I'd say that 'any time' is probably pushing it."

Robert is laughing now and Liv smiles. They're still so gross but they're secretly really cute and seeing the sparkle in Aaron's eyes is worth it even if it means he has to witness this pukefest.

It's time, she thinks. They've let each other go, still bickering as they go to grab their mugs and Liv knows they're going to head past her in a minute to the sofa. She'll get caught and there's no living that down. She might be able to give Rob a run for his money in the sneaky stakes but this morning is not the time.

"Is it safe to enter?" she shouts, arm over her eyes in a half hearted attempt that allows her to catch Aaron's grin as he looks up at her. 

"Nah, you're safe. Robert's behaving himself, aren't you?"

Robert tuts, turning fully to Liv. "Still on probation so yeah." He smiles at her in jest and she frowns pointedly at him. It fades quickly into a smile that she just can't help. 

"Well, as long as you don't forget it."

Robert actually salutes her, raises an eyebrow and takes a step towards the kitchen. "You want a cuppa? He's going to want to watch his telly and I'm going to have to watch Saturday Kitchen on catch up so I've got time to make you a sausage sarnie and tea."

It takes less than a second for her eyes to fill. He sees it and she knows the gentle quirk of his lips is for her, knows that he's offering more than breakfast and knows that this feels like home.


End file.
